Can we actually return to a time of politeness when our candidates act like impolite brats?

In general, ever since the 60s anyway, there has been a desire to live in a world that is more like Mayberry or Leave it to Beaver. At least this is and has been true for older conservative white folk (and even true of older liberals as well). Admittedly, it is a vision of politeness (or fake politeness anyway). There was respect for your fellow person, even if you weren’t particularly fond of them. And they paid you a degree of respect as well. You drove respectfully. You waited your turn. You understood the rules of engagement and how to speak in a way that was both authoritative and respectful, and commanded respect at the same time. You taught your children the same. And you wouldn’t even dream of whining.

Now I am not saying that this is actually how it was, or if it is even realistic, but it has been a picture painted by the conservatives of a better society, one that we once had, and one that we should strive for again. A more functional society. A society that worked together and greeted each other on the street.

Our leaders should be an example for this vision if it is one that is actually desired by the voters. But more than ever, we see candidates that behave erratically, name call, act vengefully, are spiteful, are wrought with disrespect, and appeal to base human emotions. And surprisingly, we see the same people that want to return to this polite-USA propping up these candidates. I have to say, it’s a bit confusing. Even if you are fed up, is that really the right way to go?

That said, do you really think that by propping up extremely divisive & impolite candidates, we can expect our nation to ever return to this Mayberry vision?

Or am I wrong, and conservatives have abandoned this desire? It’s been so emblazoned in me (over the past many decades) as the desired vision for so long I find it hard to believe that it’s up and vanished. Thoughts?

Well that would be considered pandering to the "Political-Correctness" mafia.

Now Conservatives are looking for a candidate that gives them permission to act like bigots, racists and xenophobes and whenever they get called out on their BS they just scream that they are being persecuted for being politically incorrect.

a reply to: okrian

All the name calling and insults are just practice in case they do win.

I have never been so embarrassed over the people in positions of power that are supposed to be representing us on a world stage,than I have been in the last 2 years. The name calling and the insults of other world leaders is just beyond anything professional. Do they get mad at each other?Sure,but your professionalism is supposed to take over and you act like an adult about it and refrain from calling names or insulting others.

World stage or otherwise,I am sorry,but when you start throwing names around and insulting others like that,it makes you look bad. I really want the world to think that Americans are better than that,but from what has happened in the last 2 years,yeah.This world has gone upside down with no end in sight. Everyone that is on a world stage needs to put on their big people pants and start acting like adults again. I have no respect for anyone in that position that calls others names and feels free to throw insults.

a reply to: okrian

Plus you have candidates like Ben Carson espousing unscientific information like Creationism.

a reply to: okrian

Our leaders should be an example for this vision if it is one that is actually desired by the voters. But more than ever, we see candidates that behave erratically, name call, act vengefully, are spiteful, are wrought with disrespect, and appeal to base human emotions. And surprisingly, we see the same people that want to return to this polite-USA propping up these candidates. I have to say, it’s a bit confusing. Even if you are fed up, is that really the right way to go?

What could possibly go wrong here with foreign relations?
I want a leader with tact, not some loud mouth that doesn't put his mind in gear before he puts his mouth in motion.

a reply to: okrian

I am afraid that the that Age of decency, morality, and fellowship is over. Replaced by the corruption of society we have today and it gets worse every year.

Revisionist will tell you that "it didn't exist". It was a racist, sexist, evil time.

Today we have the "Jerry Springer Show" of the 90's as our Primary Culture and Value System.

Funny, in the 70's and 80's I was told was was going to happen in my lifetime. I looked around me at that time and thought that it was impossible to happen here in the United States. I was wrong. As the years go by I see the corruption getting worse with each season.

Everything foul is now the new normal, everything that was normal is now wrong.

It is Bizarro World. But we were told it was coming.

Isaiah 5:20
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.


2 Timothy 3
Be sure of this. In the last days hard times will come.

2 People will love themselves. They will love money. They will talk about themselves and be proud. They will say wrong things about people. They will not obey their parents. They will not be thankful. They will not keep anything holy.

3 They will have no love. They will not agree with anybody. They will tell lies about people. They will have no self-control. They will beat people. They will not love anything that is good.

4 They cannot be trusted. They will act quickly, without thinking. They are proud of themselves. They love to have fun more than they love God.

5 They act as if they worshipped God, yet they do not let God's power work in their lives. Keep away from people like that.

a reply to: okrian

The decline in social morality and ethics is inversely proportional to the rise in TV through to todays mega-digital media propaganda behemoth.

Take a look at the way society was back in the early part of the 20th century right up to the 50's, start with the specific education standards for primary schools vis-a-vis subjects such as Maths and Science. Humanity had to do real research in places called libraries and formulate and postulate to arrive at workable conclusions and solutions.

Today, we have google, facebook, youtube and the Kardashians so politeness is a thing of the past and has been supplanted by political correctness - political correctness is where you have to be polite and tolerant to someone who does not have to reciprocate that same level of ethic because the propaganda machine has convinced you (and them) that minorities are persecuted......when in fact it could be argued that some minorities are in fact doing the bulk of the persecution so as to push society into not only accepting their philosophy, but to discard accepted customs and traditions whilst we do so.

Our social signature is a testament to the rise of the New World Order and all political candidates are the cheerleaders for this agenda.......the fact that your choice for leader is determined by the US Electoral college and is derived from the establishment of "red" or "blue" simply reinforces that you are not free, nor a constitutional republic - the US is a corporate oligarchy run by global elite bloodlines that use the US military to further the NWO agenda on a global scale.

Can we? Yes. Will we? Depends.

It will only get worse as long as voters consider it weak to speak of kindness, diplomacy, and respect for an opponent. But once enough mature people say they've had enough & won't succumb to the mudslinging & false macho crap, things will change.

But believe it or not, most of these politicians are just faking their stupidity. As I tried to tell people in 2012, Herman Cain was the head of a Federal Reserve branch. He only acted stupid as a candidate to cash in on the crowd that enjoys that stuff. And there's no way Donald Trump is actually this rude & condescending in real business deals. I had a book of his from the 80s or early 90s ("Art of the Deal") and he or his ghostwriter was very articulate & talked like an actual businessman. Then again, I haven't read that book since I was in high school so maybe he just seemed smart to the old me...

Of course I don’t think things were ever actually like Mayberry. And if they were, it was because it was a narrow slice of a greater society that was not at all like that.

In a larger picture, we are entering further into the ‘living with each other’ phase. And in many ways, we are pioneers in this regard. And should be proud to be pioneers (well, if we can make it work). Are we (the United States) the only country with diversity? Of course not, but we are truly in an uncharted time. It will never be like it once was (that never happens). Mayberrys existed in the past due partly to isolationism. Other races & cultures (in general, not completely) were excluded through various means (financial, educational, segregation, outright subjugation, etc.). I’m not even sure if it was entirely overt (although it definitely was as well). The melting pot that is this country has brought us closer together. And it’s been a rough road at times. Different races, different ideas, different outlooks.

Don’t get me wrong, there has been plenty of mixing in recorded history. But there is a new superpower we are contending with. The media (from film, to radio - which was also criticized for the breakdown in family communication and ushered in the era of corporate sponsorship of media, to tv, and now to internet) has made us more and more aware of the presence of other cultures (to an insane degree), allowed us to co-mingle across the globe, or to discover what was always in our back yard, and to take part in it… and as others have mentioned, has also breed some brutal narcissistic tendencies that comes with having an audience (ugh, and a somewhat dumbed-down one at that).

But the media that is accessible by all has also made us aware that a lot of people are not happy with the system. It has given more and more of a voice to those who weren’t allowed access. And many have not been happy with the system for a long time. There are many that feel that this country has been designed for a certain group of people (and shaped accordingly), and decidedly worked against others. And some of those people are pissed, and have a right to be. They see no interest in being polite to a ruling class that has never been polite to them, just to themselves. The good thing about new generations is that they don’t feel the full weight of the past or the need to adhere to it (well, kind of good). They know we will not be going back to a time of isolation, or even to a world that looked like mine (growing up in the 70s). There will be more people. More diversity. Tech will bring them all closer together, for better or worse. It’s gonna be a crazy ride.

And to circle this back to the original post… as for those leading us, or who think they are up for the job, good luck. But one thing I know, the broken system is not helping us ‘get along’. The corporatocracy has got us in a vice from top to bottom, and it is going to be a harsh unwinding, all while trying to get along and work together to make that happen. Whoever leads is going to have to acknowledge this system and how broken it has become, and as much as I have been an activist and am for ‘the fight’, I do respect a degree of old-world politeness. I don’t really think it’s a partisan to be against the Kardashians and their ilk. Can we agree on that?

We’ve also got an entire segment of the population paying lip service to the corporate PTB and who really don’t want to admit that we are, at this point, part of a diverse society, and that’s not making it any easier.

I know this was written in rather sophomoric terms. This is a very complex subject, just trying to keep to overarching points.

a reply to: okrian

I agree. There is little respect for others, always has been. And sorry to say this but I think it will get worse. Better to focus on people who resoect you. Just be polite to the other ones, because you will never gain respect if you go into dicsussion with the latter.
The world is full of disrepectfull people. And now with the internet freedom to insult is much greater.
Fact is average people love to hear about the misery of others. Tv, internet and even politicians know that. and it's all about money. So ...
Hopefully it will cange someday. I am even convinced it will.
Btw also I must admit I read the negative news. Not that I love to read it, but someway I give it more attention than it deserves. I must be average too. Not too low low I hope because just like everybody I am partly animal, partly higher being. Question is: how big are the parts?
www.evawaseerst.be...

I think a part of the problem is that HATE is....so profitable. It is the ultimate blank check for the corporate machine to cash. Wars are profitable, and they run on hating the enemy. On a much smaller scale, though perhaps more insidious, hatred makes capitalism go round: hating and envying what others have on commercials, ads, instagram/facebook/etc, makes people compete, and you compete by buying the equal or better things those others have. The beauty industry mostly profits on people (men and women) hating themselves and striving not just for simple betterment, but for the supposed physical "perfection" of celebs and models. We're not "keeping up with the Joneses" (the people next door) anymore, we're "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" (millionaires). Even mainstream journalism profits from every cause: how many politicians have used the racial/political/global/gender/whatever divide for votes, and how many companies have sold tees with relevent slogans (whose proceeds never seem to entirely make it to relevent chairites)? Every big headline decrying the injustice in the US makes money for the same companies that own the news sites (and newspapers, etc). Even the educational system is designed to sharpen students' desire to be more educated than one another, which leads to more debt for poorer students and paying ridiculous amounts of money for those who can afford it.

If society is ingrained with a sharp attitude for competition since young (education, fashion, electronics owned, brands owned, etc) then that means every youth that buys into this hate machine will spend a lifetime wasting money simply to keep up. I think that is part of why, subtly and not-so-subtly, the old values of community and selflessness and even considerate politeness have been obliterated. Competition means money, and if peope take the time to actually realize their "competition" are human beings with dreams and goals and some good parts just like them, their competitiveness tends to dull somewhat (usually, though some people don't give a--). It's a little akin to the way soldiers are taught to de-humanize the enemy so that they are able to kill them more easily. Over-simplifying and a very imperfect comparison, I know, it's late for me...

Sorry to ramble, and this is not the only factor in the decline of the ideals you're describing. But I do think corporate greed is partly to blame. The oversaturation of materialistic competition in the media, especially in media geared towards the young, seems telling to me. And whatever they say, media does seem to have a great impact on culture, and it can influence an age, I think. Not everyone, but a good slice of people.

a reply to: muse7

Examples, please.

originally posted by: okrianCan we actually return to a time of politeness when our candidates act like impolite brats?

Isn't that just so .. 'diplomatic'..., calling the ignorant vain corrupt insane killer clowns of the political Cirque du Freaque "impolite brats"!
So, Hitler isn't an insane murderous freak, he was just an... "impolite brat"!
Well spun! *__-

No, we cannot return.

The Democratic Party needs to be infiltrated and completely dismantled. They are not only destroying our country, they are aiding terrorists by giving them free weapons and ammo.

originally posted by: GeisterFahrer
No, we cannot return.

The Democratic Party needs to be infiltrated and completely dismantled. They are not only destroying our country, they are aiding terrorists by giving them free weapons and ammo.

The Republikkkan Party doesn't need to be infiltrated and completely dismantled, as the ignorant corrupt greedy selfish insane Republikkkans are imploding of their own ponderous dysfunction as both 'politicians'... and 'humans'!!
They are ... destroying our country!
Just land here?
Wait, perhaps you are not talking about Amerikkka? *__-

a reply to: okrian

Can we actually return to a time of politeness when our candidates act like impolite brats?

The question that needs to be asked first is...Is the country following the lead of the political mouthpieces?
Or are the candidates/political mouthpieces the product of the countries culture and discourse?

Are we simply getting what we are asking for?

From a global standpoint, the U.S. is stereotyped as an arrogant nation. Arrogance almost always exists symbiotically with ignorance.

These children-grown-older you see as proffered candidates for U.S. governmental positions, are simply a product of the nation's environment, coupled with the 'pay-to-play' structure of the U.S. political system.

I say we are already over the edge.

Especially when you have people saying things like the post above from muse7.

Whenever you believe opposite of the new Liberal doctrine, you are marginalized. And that post is Exhibit A.

Unless Conservatives fight dirty, like Liberals, they will NEVER reverse the course we are on.

We don't need to fight dirty, we just need to push the libtards in the hole they are digging and then cover it up.

a reply to: okrian

The new, trendy strategy is to say crass, rude, outlandish and racist things -- and then play the victim card when people criticize you for it. You turn it around, go on the offensive and claim that the "politically correct police" are attacking you, and you "don't do PC". It plays on people's emotions, namely the emotions of being frustrated.

Conservatives feel backed into a corner, their views are now seen as outdated and old fashioned, they feel threatened. They're angry, upset, and confused why no one wants to share their views. These people see the changing demographics of America and can feel their power fading.

Rallying behind a "Anti-political correct" person is a way for them to reclaim some sense of power and control -- and go on the offensive for once.